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| Age: 52 |
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| What is your current occupation? |
| Full-time Courtroom Clerk Part-time Professional Travel Writer/Photographer |
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| What are you studying at AWAI (travel writing,
photography, import/export, or all three)? |
| Travel writing, currently the Ultimate Travel Writers San Francisco Workshop on-line |
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| What was your first successful article or photo about
and where did it appear? |
| As a result of reviewing each email, following several recommendations, and studying the on-line San Francisco workshop offered by AWAI, my first success story actually came with my first proposal early on. I summoned up the confidence to telephone the editor of my local newspaper with a new monthly travel column idea. She was intrigued with my proposal and forwarded me to the publisher who enthusiastically agreed. My proposal was to offer my own personal local travel stories or ideas to both the local community and the visiting traveler. I selected my featured attraction based on entertainment value, visual appeal, uniqueness to region, distance from town and costs. I live in the picturesque pacific northwest and I wanted to remind my neighbors that we who live here never have to travel far to be someplace special. My first story featured a "Chowder Charter" dinner cruise onboard a 65-foot sailing vessel and appeared in The Ferndale Record Journal, Ferndale, Washington. The second story was titled: "Local Sites: A Seven-day Sampler" and the most recent story was "All-Local Food, Fun and Festivities." Each submission included eight to ten photographs, both verticals and horizontals. The acceptance of my proposal was a personal victory but the even greater thrill was seeing the title the publisher had given me in my byline... "Dawn-Marie Hanrahan - Record-Journal Travel Columnist." I smiled for a week after I saw it. |
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| What are you working on now? |
| In between writing, photographing, researching the markets and requesting writer's and photographer's guidelines, I'm doing my homework in preparation of submitting a springtime idea to Kyle Wagner at the Denver Post. |
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| What has been your proudest writing, photography, or
import/export moment? |
| My proudest accomplishment-moment is the one coming next. I strive to learn and improve every day. |
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| Please give us an example of how your life has
changed since becoming a travel writer, photographer, or
import-exporter. |
| I joined AWAI recently and have limited examples of how travel writing and photography have changed my life. I can say this, it absolutely consumes me and my life is not the least bit tame. I am obsessed. My mind is always accumulating and processing and there's no turning back. I'm seriously hooked. |
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| What success tip would you like to share with your
fellow AWAI members? |
Question: What's the difference between a framed rejection letter and a framed acceptance letter?
Answer: Absolutely nothing. When you hang them on your wall, they equally display your commitment and your effort. If you possess the courage to be rejected, success will be inevitable.
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| When did you realize you were living the writer’s or
photographer’s life? |
| Living the writer/photographer's life? I don't believe I'm quite there... yet. For me, that realization will come when I no longer have to balance my current day job with my truest passion. The instant I'm able to announce: "I don't have a 'job.' I write and I shoot and those silly people just keep paying me to to it." |
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